Rays Run Into Trouble, Lose To Royals in 10 Innings, 3-2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Some nights, the toughest losses are the ones that are self-induced. The Tampa Bay Rays were feeling that way on Friday night.
The Rays ran into three outs on the bases, a season-long problem, and had just one hit in six tries with runners in scoring position. Even ace Shane McClanahan, who was very good all night through seven innings, made one mistake and allowed a two-run homer.
Add it all up and then toss in three defensive gems by the Kansas City Royals in the bottom of the 10th, and it led to a disappointing 3-2 loss for the Rays.
"It's very hard for us, because right now we just need to win when you're looking for the playoffs,'' said designated hitter Harold Ramirez, who was picked off of second base with the bases loaded in the third inning and Randy Arozarena, the Rays' hotter hitter, at the plate.
Ramirez complained after that game that he was safe at second. Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged the out call, but it wasn't changed. Ramirez said the umpires — and review officials — got it wrong.
"I know he missed me, and the second baseman (Nicky Lopez) even told me. 'I missed you by this much,' '' Ramirez said, holding his hands about six inches apart. "I don't know what they saw in the video and why they would call me out. (Lopez) right after, he told me, 'I don't why they called you out.'
"That made me frustrated, because I know he missed me. I feel like I made a good move to be safe.''
There were two other running blunders late in the game, one by shortstop Taylor Walls in the ninth and another by center fielder Roman Quinn in the 10th. With the score tied 2-2, Walls laced a shot down the left field line and tried to stretch it into a double. Left fielder MJ Melendez got to the ball quickly though, and Walls was thrown out at second. It was the 56th time a Rays runner had been thrown out on the bases this year, far and away the most in the majors.
Quinn, who started in center field and struck out four times. was the placed runner in the bottom of the 10th. He made a bad read on Yandy Diaz's ground ball up the middle to lead off the inning, and got stuck at second. Then he tried to steal third, but Rays catcher Salvador Perez, who's a seven-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner, gunned him down with a perfect throw for the second out in the inning. Melendez then made a diving catch for the final out of the game.
"I can't fault either one of them,'' Cash said about the Walls and Quinn outs, saying they were made out of aggression. "Wallsy's trying to get into scoring position with a double down the line. Roman, we didn't get there (to third base) on Yandy's ball, so we've got to force it a little bit. That was a great play by Salvador.''
The loss was tough, too, because it wasted a solid outing by ace Shane McClahanan, who allowed only two hits in seven innings, and struck out eight, his biggest whiff game since he had eight at Cincinnati on July 8.
But things turned quickly for McClanahan in the third inning. After getting through the first nine hitters with just one walk, leadoff hitter MJ Melendez came to the plate with two outs. McClanahan had a 1-2 count on him but then missed on three straight pitches, two sliders and a curve, for a walk.
McClanahan was upset with himself, cursing into glove. His first pitch to rookie shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., a slider, drifted right over the heart of the plate, and Witt hammered it deep to center field for a two-run home run, his 16th of the year. It traveled 438 feet.
Bobby’s blasting off!#TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/asvSEonbMP
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 19, 2022
"I tried to get ahead and sneak a pitch past him, but he's a good hitter and he made me pay for it,'' McClanahan said of Witt's home run. The only other hit he allowed was a leadoff single by Vinnie Pasquantino in the fourth inning. "I felt great tonight, aside from that little one-two, the walk and the home run. Obviously, I wish I could have that back, but I feel like I'm in a good spot. For the first time in a couple of starts, I felt like I was right there with all four pitches.
"The walk, it happens. Obviously, I can control that better and make a better pitch, but the walks, they happen. It wasn't on my mind (on the first-pitch Witt homer). It was over, and you go on to the next one. You can't change it, so you just go on to the next guy.''
McClanahan was untouchable after that, facing just 13 batters in the next four innings. He left after seven innings, throwing 90 pitches.
The Rays tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, finally getting to Royals starter Brady Singer, who has been tough on them in both starts this season. David Peralta singled to lead off the inning and Ramirez doubled to right center, sending Peralta to third. Arozarena, on the eighth pitch of his at-bat, pushed a single through the right side of the infield, and both runners scored to make it 2-2.
Jason Adam pitched a scoreless eighth, and Jalen Beeks did the same in the ninth.
In the top of the 10th, the Royals manufactured a run against Beeks, advancing the placed runner, Michael A. Taylor, to third with a bunt, and then he scored on a sacrifice fly to shallow right when Arozarena's throw sailed far over the head of Rays catcher Francisco Mejia. Beeks took the loss, despite not allowing a hit in the 10th.
Arozarena now has 17 RBIs in August, tied for the American League lead. It's also why the Ramirez pick-off — whether it was the right call or not — really hurt early in the game. As hot as Arozarena has been, you want him hitting with the bases loaded.
"With two outs right there with Randy, we like our chances,'' Cash said. "There's no guarantee, of course, but you'd like to see Randy hit there.''
The Rays are now 63-55 on the season, and they fell back into third place in the AL East after Toronto beat the New York Yankees on Friday night. The Rays currently hold the sixth and final playoff spot, just barely ahead of both Minnesota and Baltimore.
The Rays and Royals meet again on Saturday afternoon, with a 4:10 p.m. ET start at Tropicana Field. Drew Rasmussen, who's coming off a ninth-inning perfect game attempt, will start for the Rays. He's 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA this season. Kris Bubic (2-7, 5.15 ERA) will start for the Royals.
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Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.